Cover attachment method and apparatus
AssigneeKendro Laboratory Products, LP
InventorRaymond Gary Potter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A centrifuge rotor cover attachment and release apparatus for automatic attachment and quick release. The apparatus has a knob with a bore extending therethrough with a cover connected to the knob. The apparatus additionally includes a housing having a passage. The housing is connected to the knob along. The apparatus additionally includes an adapter and plunger. The apparatus further includes a pair of biasing members, a slider member, and a moveable element.
Claims32
A rotor cover automatic attachment and quick release apparatus for use with a centrifuge having a rotor, a rotor attachment ring, and a drive spindle, comprising:
- a housing having a first passage and a retaining ring;
- a cover disposed around said housing;
- an adapter removeably connected to said housing, said adapter having a first detent;
- a plunger slidably disposed within said housing, said plunger having a first contact surface and a second contact surface;
- a slider member having a first end, a second end, and a groove, disposed around said plunger that slidably engages both said housing and said plunger;
- a first biasing member mounted between the second contact surface and the first end of said slider;
- and
- a first moveable element retained within said first passage so that said first moveable element is moveable between an attached position and a released position.
A method for automatic attachment and quick release of a centrifuge rotor cover to a rotor, comprising:
- biasing a slider member having a groove and disposed around a plunger within a housing, in a first direction;
- and
- displacing a moveable element at least partially into the slider groove;
- and
- inserting the housing into an adapter having a first detent.
A rotor cover attach and release apparatus having a housing and an adapter for attaching a rotor cover to a rotor of a centrifuge and subsequently releasing the cover, comprising:
- a stationary attachment means disposed on the adapter;
- an actuation means disposed within the housing;
- a first moveable attachment means disposed around said actuation means;
- a second moveable attachment means disposed within the housing;
- a first biasing means retained between said first moveable attachment means and said actuation means;
- and
- a second biasing means retained between said first moveable attachment means and the adapter;
- wherein first biasing means displaces said first moveable attachment means in a first direction, thereby displacing said second moveable attachment means to a released position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.